Public Accounts Committee Criticises Lack Of Evaluation On Drug Strategy Spend

The Public Accounts Select Committee has published its 30th report of this Parliamentary Session which, on the basis of evidence from the Home Office and the National Treatment Agency, examined the drug strategy, drug-related crime, drug treatment and reintegration and young people and drug use.


The Committee's conclusions are as follows:


- The Government spends ??1.2 billion a year on measures aimed at tackling problem drug use, yet does not know what overall effect this spending is having.


- Around one-quarter of problem drug users are hard-core offenders who resist measures to reduce their offending or 'drop out' of drug treatment.


- Problem drug users typically relapse several times into further drug use and offending during and after drug treatment.


- Despite local authorities spending ??30 million on housing support for problem drug users in 2008-09, up to 100,000 drug users in England continue to have a housing problem.


- Some problem drug users quickly relapse into drug use and reoffending when released from prison.


- Measures to reduce problem drug use by young people have had limited impact.


DrugScope's Chief Executive, Martin Barnes, commented today on the report's findings:


"While many service users and their families will vouch for the value of drug treatment, the Public Accounts Committee is right to highlight the need for the overall drug strategy spend to be evaluated. The Home Office's commitment to publish an annual report, which should be backed by independent feedback and research on progress, is a good step forward.


"The links between problem drug use and crime can be complex, but it is concerning that there is insufficient evidence to confirm whether the drug strategy is directly reducing the cost of drug-related crime. In considering how best to tackle those repeat offenders for whom current interventions do not appear to be effective, it is encouraging to note the Committee's acknowledgement of the positive outcomes from the recent heroin prescribing trials and its potential as a cost-effective option for heroin users who have not responded to other available treatments.


"With the publication of this report, the Public Accounts Committee have highlighted one of the major problems affecting the implementation of the current drug strategy - the lack of evaluation. Since the first drug strategy was published in 1998, there has been insufficient government investment in good quality, longitudinal research into some areas of the strategy's activities, most notably in establishing the evidence base on what is effective in supporting people to reintegrate into society after they have recovered from a drug problem, preventing relapse and stopping the cycle of drug-related offending."


In light of DrugScope's recent work on young people's drug treatment, culminating in the publication of Young People's Drug and Alcohol Treatment at the Crossroads, Martin also made specific reference to the Committee's findings on young people:


"On young people, it is unclear whether the Public Accounts Committee's conclusions are primarily focused on heroin and crack cocaine or other drug use. The main problems for young people are associated with cannabis and alcohol with only a small proportion using heroin or crack cocaine. For young people substance use may be a symptom of wider issues - services therefore need to be geared to address a range of issues, such as problems at home or school, mental health, poor housing and unemployment. While it is important to evaluate progress in reducing the number of problem drug users, target setting is unlikely to be of much value."

Source
DrugScope